A new digital equity video campaign will uplift the voices of Texas community members impacted by the digital divide. The Texas Legislature is considering measures to support broadband access. Using a virtual platform, we are inviting students, families, community members and educators to share their stories about how the digital divide has impacted their learning and their lives. Education equity is a key component of the digital divide.
Key Facts about the Digital Divide
Below are some talking points that respondents can share as part of their video testimony.*
- Texas is only 1 of 6 states without a state broadband plan.
- Broadband access refers to an individual’s ability to connect to broadband internet physically (via cable or fiber connection).
- Over 1.7 million households in Texas (about 18%) do not have broadband Internet access.
- Over 637,000 households in Texas do not have a computer in their homes.
- 75% of the 20 million U.S. households that still lack home broadband or mobile data connections live in urbanized areas, and they are very likely low-income.
How to Participate
This campaign uses Sendspark, a video outreach platform. To record testimony, community members click on our campaign link and will follow the instructions on the screen to record a 15-second video clip of themselves on any device that has a camera. See the prompts below.
Recorded clips will be collected, securely stored, and potentially used in a video compilation. We will share the final video compilation on social media, across advocacy coalition spaces, and to Texas legislative offices to inform two flagship broadband bills this session, HB 5 (Ashby) and SB 5 (Nichols).**
Potential Video Prompts
- What does digital equity or digital inclusion mean to you?
- How does the digital divide impact your, your child’s or your family member’s learning or school experience?
- What solutions do you and your community hope the Texas Legislature addresses in response to the digital divide?
Get Resources
See our bilingual info sheet (pdf)
See one-page bilingual recording steps (pdf)
This campaign is led by IDRA, Lit Communities, the Digital Inclusion Alliance of San Antonio, and the Texas Legislative Education Equity Coalition (TLEEC).
For questions or more information, contact IDRA Education Policy Fellows Thomas Marshall at thomas.marshall@idra.org or Christina Muñoz at christina.munoz@idra.org.
* For sources and more information see Digital Destination – Texas Needs Broadband Connectivity for All Students & Families, by Thomas Marshall & Christina Muñoz, April 20, 2021
